Politicians play hardball on map fracas

Software used in map drafting linked to Kansas Chamber

A bipartisan contingent of Kansas legislators question the propriety of the staff of conservative Republican Gov. Sam Brownback in relying on software licensed to the Kansas Chamber of Commerce to draft proposed maps realigning the state's political districts. The chamber is leading an effort to take control of the Senate from moderate Republicans, and the easiest method of winning August primary campaigns is to alter districts to create favorable contests. Lack of consensus on maps in the 2012 session moved the issue to federal court.

David Kensinger, right, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback's former chief of staff, observed a meeting of the Senate Reapportionment Committee as it considered congressional redistricting in January. Sitting next to him is another Brownback staffer, Peter Northcott.

The book on Gov. Sam Brownback's involvement in redistricting of the state's four major political maps is a mystery.

Brownback assured Kansans he had never indicated a personal preference for a single map during an unyielding, perverse four-month debate at the Capitol. Four days later, the governor's office issued a statement claiming staff members working for the Republican were involved in crafting hundreds of reapportionment maps.

Members of Brownback's inner circle churned out maps, including options for the U.S. House and Kansas Senate, labeled as products of computer software licensed to the Kansas Chamber. The linkage triggered unease because the organization is campaigning to oust the Senate's moderate GOP leadership.

A Brownback official said Saturday the Kansas Chamber's tag was erroneously affixed to maps emerging from the governor's office. It is unclear how the Kansas Chamber was credited or why it was never corrected.

Officials at the Kansas Chamber in Topeka didn't respond to repeated messages for comment.

Sherriene Jones-Sontag, spokeswoman for the governor, said Maptitude software used by Brownback's staff was provided for free by Kansas Line by Line Inc. The obscure Leawood organization has no office or employees. It was started by the executive director of the Kansas Republican Party.

"The governor's office had access to mapping software owned by a Kansas nonprofit," Jones-Sontag said. "The governor's office used this access to participate in drawing hundreds of reapportionment scenarios at the request of legislators to relieve a legislative research system overwhelmed by such requests."

Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, said it was inappropriate for any outside entity to wiggle its way into the middle of state government's work on maps for the Kansas House, Kansas Senate, U.S. House and Kansas State Board of Education.

He said involvement by the Kansas Chamber or state Republican Party was disturbing because he believes elements of both organizations were working to block his re-election and that of seven other moderate GOP senators. Loss of two moderate seats to conservatives could swing Senate leadership to the right.

"It's part of their campaign to get rid of traditional Republicans," Morris said.

Maptitude software was provided at taxpayer expense to Republican and Democratic leadership offices in the House and Senate. Another set was in hands of the Kansas Legislative Research Department, which took on the centralized role of confidentially developing maps at the request of individual legislators.

The research office has remained available to assist any politician or Kansan interested in drawing a proposal for redistricting, said Cory Carnahan, a state research analyst and key figure in the mapping project.

Kansas GOP executive director Clay Barker said the Kansas Line By Line nonprofit he established last year was devoted to working on behalf of Republicans through the redistricting process. That led to involvement with Maptitude.

"It's a laptop, software and data," said Barker, who encouraged allies to share information to improve maps. "We didn't try to limit it."

He said he was puzzled that Kansas Line by Line's gift of software to the governor's office would be credited to the Kansas Chamber.

"I don't have any agreement with the Kansas Chamber to pass it on," Barker said.

Peter Northcott, a member of the governor's staff, was tied directly to maps with the Kansas Chamber moniker. In March, he circulated maps with the chamber's label partially crossed out or snipped off. The full label, "Maptitude for Redistricting (Licensed to The Kansas Chamber)," was left undisturbed on his maps in May.

Ivan Crossland, leader of the Kansas Chamber’s political action committee, expressed reservations about a map endorsed by a bipartisan majority in the Senate as "just the latest example of why we need a new state Senate."

The House and Senate were collectively responsible for forwarding to the governor all four maps. Brownback could sign or veto them. The Kansas Supreme Court was to review maps for constitutional compliance.

But the 2012 Legislature, with moderate Republicans leading the Senate and conservative Republicans holding sway in the House, failed to compromise.

A federal lawsuit was filed, and the struggle moves Tuesday to a courthouse in Kansas City, Kan. A three-judge panel will conduct hearings and impose a set of boundary maps.

Dozens of lawyers are involved in the fray, but Brownback decided not to intervene personally in the litigation.

"The drawing of maps is primarily a legislative function," Brownback said. "Throughout the process, I never submitted a map to the Legislature nor have I indicated a preference for any specific map."

Sen. Tim Owens, an Overland Park Republican and chairman of the Senate's redistricting committee, said statements portraying Brownback as maintaining safe distance on mapping were misleading.

"He showed me maps personally," said Owens, who received court permission to intervene in the lawsuit. "The public needs to understand this isn't something the governor has taken a hands-off approach with. It is truly about this effort to take over control of all branches of government and remove the people who disagree."

House Majority Leader Arlen Siegfreid, an Olathe Republican, said Senate maps endorsed by Owens and his colleagues were developed for the purpose of blocking GOP challengers and thwarting the Kansas Chamber. It makes sense for Brownback to embrace an effort to elect a "more friendly Senate," he said.

"Me standing around whining about somebody running against me is nonsensical," Siegfreid said.

Lawrence Rep. Paul Davis, the House Democratic leader who also intervened in the case, said the state should form a nonpartisan redistricting commission similar to what exists in Iowa. Maneuvering by the governor and special-interest groups contributed to default to the federal courts, he said.

"It shows us the need to reform the redistricting, because it will be polluted if we allow this to continue," Davis said.

Former Brownback chief of staff David Kensinger said criticism of how the governor made use of donated computer software was irrelevant. Kensinger is running Road Map Solutions, the governor's political organization.

"This is much to do about nothing," he said. "It's like having multiple copies of the same dictionary."

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interesting watching the disintegration of the republican party enough that the traditionalist party members like Owens are publicly willing to call out the governor himself. the primaries are going to be fun!

Mr. Brownback is relying on the citizens of Kansas to be apathetic . "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain". He will take this approach as far as we allow him. We ( THE PEOPLE) must make him accountable! I often wonder if Ms. Sontag and other members of the cabinet really believe themselves the spin they produce on behalf of Mr. Brownback's backside. I am pleased to see that the CJ is willing to print stories like this and do there part to let Mr. Brownback know, we ARE watching...

What I find interesting and hasn't been talked about here much, is the Chamber's involvement. I knew from reading previous articles where they stood, but didn't quite get just how DIRECTLY involved they have become in all of this. Maybe they should be required to register as a PAC if they are going to be this much of a policital machine.

I just wonder how some of their members feel about all this involvement, as I am quite sure they probably "represent" some business owners who don't buy into Sam's Plan for take-over.

The usual assortment of Ignorami in the House and Senate, Kobach, Sam, Lynn Jenkins, "Brownback's inner circle", Kansas Line by Line, the three judges, the 27 lawyers, and the incestuous little klatch of co-conspirators who filed the lawsuit thinking they would have a slamdunk at it.

What power do we, the people of Kansas, have to put a stop to this NOW and make certain those maps are drawn fairly?

Unfortunately, we cannot stop it now, or change it!! It is very sad, indeed!

Cj, good job reporting on this. Can you get together with all of the other news agencies in the state, and get the word out, so that when we do have a primary election, the moderates are given a fair chance for reelection?
They are being targeted by so many people, organizations, and PAC's that they have no chance without the news being spread. In my opinion, the moderates are the only people in the Kansas congress that it sane!!

All I can say is God help us if the courts make the maps so that the moderates are not reelected!!

We will become a total dictatorship state by the Governor and the Koch Brothers!! We will have to watch our wallets even closer, that is if you are lower and low middle class citizens!!

We, as citizens of Kansas, must get the word out this year to vote moderate. It is the only chance we will have of retaining some power over what the wingnuts want to do to us as a State and as a Country. Vote Moderate!

who you vote for or what stance you take. They are going to do what they want when they want to. "Voting" is just a charade used to confuse the citizens into believing they matter. I tend to concentrate on things that really matter to me... off to clean up breakfast after 5 kids.....ages 3-7.

that got Brownback elected in the first place, along with a previous state board of education that made Kansas the laughing stock of the nation. But this time no one is laughing. Brownback is crazy and desperate enough to send this state over a cliff for some national notoriety and to make the State Chamber and the Kochs happy. This guy has got to go and only those of us who are responsible enough to show up at the ballot box can make that happen. We better wake up quick and vote moderate in November.

'Brownback said. "Throughout the process, I never submitted a map to the Legislature nor have I indicated a preference for any specific map."' Sounds like Brownback took a page from the Clinton/Monica mess. How do the religious right tolerate this man?

...be facing a primary challenge from an opponent backed by the deep pockets behind the radical right , you would be "whining" about it. It's easy to make fun of the other side's position when it has no effect on you. I was raised in Kansas and I learned early on (from my very conservative farming relatives) to treat people fairly even if it means you might not come out on top. We've all had that person in our lives that just had to "win" everything at all costs. I didn't like him and I suspect other folks raised here wouldn't, either. Kansans are about giving everyone a fighting chance. The minute we see you trying to stack the deck or cheat in some other way, we are then against you! We the people will choose the government WE want. Not the one you try to force upon us through your nefarious means. You might "own" Kansas but you do NOT own her people...!

you are(or can) do something about it. Brownback was/is a savior to some, the problem to others. Obama was/is a savior to some, the problem to others. It's a back and forth cat and mouse game. The players only care is that they are getting good pay and benefits to play the game that will NEVER change. It doesn't matter who you vote in or out. It will be the exact same thing the next day. It is human nature. Until that changes (hint hint. it's not going to) you guys will continue to waste your breath debating who is right and wrong instead of problems actually being solved. Why not spend that effort doing something locally, make a difference, clean up your house and neighborhood. Things of that nature.

Course I am small minded, no degree, no "higher education", too much common sense. I apologize for wasting your time.

While the nuts in power went after unions all over the country and prohibited the state from collecting union dues from those employees that were members because "they" feared someone in a union may not vote for them. These Chamber of Commerce fools do the exact same thing with their unsuspecting member business dues and fees. The Chamber is by any account anti employee and all about dumping any taxes onto the backs of he working class taxpayer.

Registered voters in Kansas who are declared Democrats or unaffiliated need to change their voter registration to Republican prior to this year's crucial Primary elections. That way they can have a say in who eventually gets elected. Once the primary is over, it is an easy task to revert your party affiliation back to what you desire.

It would make my day if only one more person on these boards would say, like I did, that they have switched their party from Dem to Rep just for the purpose of voting in moderate Republicans.

In Kansas, it would make zero difference in the Democratic party if we all moved over to Republican just long enough to vote these rats out. We continue to be free to vote for the Democrats in our districts. I received my Republican registration card recently. I wish others would join me.

I realize that what I am doing is making an effort to have moderate Republicans running against my Democratic candidates, and I am sure that is not something my candidates particularly relish - but I am not such a strong Liberal that I can't appreciate the major difference in a moderate Republican and an extreme right Republican.

Right now, come hell or high water, we need to all focus hard on routing the Koch-backed far right. Then we can get back to our usual partisan bickering on the differences in Democrats and Republicans. This bunch we have running the state right now are not Republicans. They are Libertarians in Republican clothing. They did an end run around the party and snuck in using Koch money to blow smoke in the eyes of the voters. When we get rid of them, then we can begin to rebuild from the ashes.